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Kawhi Leonard (Source: Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard has been replaced by Derrick White of the NBA champion Boston Celtics for the United States squad competing in Paris, USA Basketball confirmed on Wednesday. This is the first roster change since the team was established in the spring.
With inflammation in his right knee, Kawhi Leonard missed 12 of the Los Angeles Clippers' last 14 games of the previous season. However, in recent days, he declared that his knee felt well. Leonard's status for Paris was decided, according to USA Basketball and the Clippers.
According to AP News, USA Basketball released a statement “Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas.” “He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.”
Leonard was restricted to just two games during the 2023 playoffs due to a damaged meniscus, and he missed the whole 2021–22 NBA season after injuring his ACL during the 2021 postseason. Though Leonard has been an NBA champion twice, an All-Star six times, and an All-NBA player six times, his career has been plagued by injuries. His season with the Clippers ended prematurely, so USA Basketball had been keeping a close eye on him in recent weeks to make sure he was healthy enough to play.
Derrick White will replace him at USA Team
This past season, Derrick White averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists for the Celtics. With his selection, Boston now has three players out of the twelve on the U.S. roster; Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum, two colleagues of the Celtics, are also headed to Paris.
White is anticipated to join the American team later this week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The squad is slated to practice in Abu Dhabi on Saturday before playing exhibition games against Australia on July 15 and Serbia on July 17. The team will depart from Las Vegas on Thursday. Starting on July 28 in Lille, France, Team USA's opponents in the Olympic group stage will be Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico.